Rashid Minhas Shaheed

Shaheed Rashid Minhas NH
Pilot officer Rashid Minhas, 1971.
Born	17 February 1951 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Died	20 August 1971(1971-08-20) (aged 20) Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Air Force
Years of service	1971
Rank	Pilot Officer
Unit	No. 2 Squadron
Battles/wars	Bangladesh Liberation War
Awards	Nishan-e-Haider

Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas or Rashid Minhas Shaheed, NH, PAF (Urdu: راشد منہاس شہید‎) (February 17, 1951 – August 20, 1971) was a Pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Minhas, a newly commissioned officer of 1971 (date of commission: 13 March 1971, 51st GD(P) Course), is the only PAF officer to receive the highest valour award, the Nishan-e-Haider. He is also the youngest person and the shortest-serving officer to have received this award. He is remembered for his death in 1971 in a jet trainer crash while struggling to regain the controls from a defecting pilot: flight instructor Flt Lt Matiur Rahman.

Rashid Minhas was born on February 17, 1951, at Karachi to a Muslim Rajput family of the Minhas clan. Rashid Minhas spent his early childhood in Karachi. Later, the family shifted to Rawalpindi. Minhas had his early education from St Mary's Cambridge School Rawalpindi. Later his family shifted back to Karachi. Minhas was fascinated with aviation history and technology. He used to collect different models of aircraft and jets. He also attended St Patrick's High School, Karachi, Karachi.